William



(No Model.)

W. O; PERKINS.

FRAME FOR STRETGHING AND DRYING STOCKINGS. No. 324,880. Patented Aug. 25, 1886.

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UNITED STATES ,ATENT Gambia WILLIAM C. PERKINS, OF \VOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY F. ARMS, OF SAME PLACE.

FRAME FOR STRETCHING AND DRYING STOCKINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,880, dated August 25, 1885,

Applicaiion filed June 16, i884. (No model.)

said improved frame for stretching and drying stockings, the same being shown expanded and locked by full lines, and unlocked and contracted,to admit of the stocking being removed, by dotted lines, as hereinafter more fully described; and Fig. 2 represents,upon an enlarged scale, a central horizontal section through one-half of the upper part of the frame, taken on line ac, Fig. 1.

My invention relates to frames used for stretching and drying stockings after having been woven and washed in the usual way.

It consistsin the construction and arrangement of parts which I employ for expanding, contracting, and suspending said frame, as hereinafter more fully described.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe it more in detail.

In the drawings, the part marked A represents a piece of wire bent into the proper form to receive and stretch the foot and leg of a stocking, as hereinafter described. of said wire part A are bent to form eyes or hooks a, whereby it may be fastened to the expanding and contracting device B. Said device consists of the central'part, b, the side link-pieces, 0 c, and the suspending part (1. The latter is in this instance made of wire. It is fastened at the cent-er of the central part, b, and provided at a proper distance above said part b with a single spiral coil, 1, which may be placed over a line or cord to suspend the frame therefrom, said coil being made sufficiently open to admit of its being readily applied to the line, as aforesaid. A hook or any other well-known device for suspending the frame may be used in l1eu of the one above described, if preferred.

The central part, b,

The ends is slotted out at each end, as shown at I) in Fig. 2, to receive the sidelink-pieces, c c, and the latter are in turn provided with slots 0 at their outer ends to receive the eyes or loops a, formed on the Wire part A. Said parts are all hinged or linked together by means of pins 6, as shown in the drawings, and are locked when in an expanded position, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, by means of a pin, f, passed through the part b and one of the link-pieces c, as is fully shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Said link-pieces c are each provided in this instance with projecting arms a, made of the proper shape to bear against the suspending Wire part d, when the several parts are in the positions that they occupy when the wire part A is expanded, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, the purposeof said arms being tosteady the several parts when in the aforesaid positions. In making the frame said arms may be used or not, as desired, the locking-pin holding the parts quite securely withoutthem. An ordinary hook hinged to one end of the wire part A, and fitted to hook upon the other end of said part, may be used, if preferred, in lieu of the hinged parts I) c a, before described, or any other convenient and well-known device for accomplishing the same result may be used without departing from the principle of my invention. In case of such modifications the part for suspending the frame would of course be modified to correspond therewith. A stocking having been woven and washed in the usual way is next placed over my proved frame, when contracted as before described, and then stretched by expanding the wire part A, as also before described,tlfesame being locked in said expanded position by means of the pinf. It is nextv hung upon a suitable line or cord to dry by means of the suspending part (I, and when dry taken from the line, the pin f withdrawn, and the stocking then removed from the frame in a smooth and perfect condition, ready for packing.

By the use of a wire frame, as described, stockings may be stretched in ,a very perfect manner and dried much more quickly than by the use of frames as now made, owing to the reduction in contact-surface, which admits of abetter circulation of air to dry the stock ings. Said frames may be made at a considj erable red notion in expense over the old kind,

and are also more durable and lasting.

Having described my improvements in frames for stretching and drying stockings, 5 What I claim therein as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a frame for stretching and drying stockings, the wire part or form A, in combination [0 with the means for expanding, contracting,

and suspending the same, consisting of the part (1, central part, b, and side link-pieces, c c,provided with upwardly-projecting holdingarms 0 a, cons -ructed, arranged, and hinged to operate substantially as shown and de- 1 scribed.

WILLIAM C. PERKINS.

Witnesses:

ALBERT A. BARKER, WALTER B. NoURsE. 

